Question for any & everyone w/ 6.0's: If you have your engine bulletproofed with ARP studs, Ford OEM head gasket, EGR delete, etc...only to find out 50k miles later you blew your head gasket and there were actually black onyx HG's instead, what would you do/what would you settle for? Additionally, I have 2 cracked heads and they were milled. I've not done anything besides an SCT tune to it. All opinions welcome please.

Question for any & everyone w/ 6.0's: If you have your engine bulletproofed with ARP studs, Ford OEM head gasket, EGR delete, etc...only to find out 50k miles later you blew your head gasket and there were actually black onyx HG's instead, what would you do/what would you settle for? Additionally, I have 2 cracked heads and they were milled. I've not done anything besides an SCT tune to it. All opinions welcome please.

Take it up with the repair facility.. Any reputable shop would address the issue and come up with a "fair" solution.

1 line summary: black onyx head gaskets were used by a shop when their standard practice/my choice was to use Ford HG's, the heads were also machined, and I shortly after have blown HG's, and the magna flux uncovered 2 cracked heads. The original job was done as a preventative (bulletproofing, not as a fix) and primarily to install ARP studs. I am currently seeking compensation for my repairs, but have only been offered $400 for replacing the bad black onyx HD (which is only 6.7% of my final repair cost…). Here is an email I sent earlier today…and by the way I have no problem airing this out and other details if anyone cares:

Bob,

As previously discussed in our phone conversation on 11 February 2014 and the reason I left a message at your shop 18 February 2014, is because I am seeking compensation for repairs I believe to be directly caused by a previous mechanical repair done by your shop.

Lookout Ford in Morehead City, NC recently repaired blown head gaskets and 2 cracked cylinder heads on my 2003 Ford F-250 Diesel. Upon disassembly, Black Onyx head gaskets were found to be used and the two cylinder heads were cracked and found to have been machined beyond acceptable standards.

As previously discussed in our phone conversation on 11 February 2014, Black Onyx head gaskets should not have been used due to their well-known issue of premature failure and your shops standard operating procedure to use Ford OEM head gaskets. We both agreed that Ford OEM head gaskets should have been used, unless I specifically requested Black Onyx, which I did not. Additionally, Ford stated that any machining/resurfacing of the 6.0L heads is unacceptable, causing a reasonable suspicion for both heads cracking. Of note, this particular qualified Ford 6.0L diesel mechanic has not seen a 6.0L with both heads cracked in any of his past experience.

I am seeking 100% of the repair cost of $5963.60.

Worth mentioning, your shop charged me $4,369.85 and my truck was at 120,000 miles and it is currently at 156,976. I have spent a total of $10,333.45 between both repairs within just 36,976 miles in less than 3 years. I realize this is beyond your warranty period, but believe a reasonable person would expect a head gasket job as I had done by your shop to last longer. A reasonable person would have expected Ford OEM head gaskets to be used and resurfacing to only occur within acceptable standards.

A phone call was made on 18 March 2014 to advise you of this email, but my phone calls have not been answered by your company since 11 February from my phone number. If there is no response to this email by 25 March 2014 including a proposed settlement, I will begin seeking court action on that date. Thank you for your time and cooperation.

Respectfully,

Zac [MI LNAME]

Of note, he refuses to compensate more than the cost of a HG. He also doesn't believe the Ford mechanic is telling the truth that it was a black onyx HG, but its written on my receipt and the service department as a whole is 100% sure. He also is telling me that my SCT tuner is the source of the blown HG and the cracked heads, which the Ford 6.0 mech strongly disagrees with. I have filed a complaint with the BBB and will shortly go the lawyer route...

If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know…even if I seem off base here.

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